Drier for plaster-board



D. ROBERTS.

'Patented-D60. 6, 1921.

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naine son.

Application sieri Jennery To all "rr/wm 'may come? o.' Be it lnorn that l, Devin E Bessere, a citizen ci' ne United' States., residing at Buialo, in the county ot Erie, State et' New Y rk, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driers for Plaster- Board; and do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear1 and enact descr @tion of the invention, such as will enahle ot ers skilled in the art to which it appertnins make and use 'the saine.

This invention relates to drying apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for drying sheet material snch, tor example, plaster' hoard, and has for its ohiec't the provision oit an improved drying apparatus, and in particular an improved apparatus `for drying plaster hoard and the lilre. Plaster board consists generally ci sheet or slab rof hardened plaster, which may orA may not have its suriaces covered with inclosing sheets oipapeiz 'lt is used extensively in place of lath and plaster as the inner wall of buildings or as the inner Wall of a room and-is ordinarily nailed or tacked directly to the studdinf of the' huild-` ing structure. Ordinarily, plaster hoard is marketed in the forni of panels of appropriate dimensions. For example, panels approximately 4 feet in width and approximately 8 feet in length are well adapted for ordinary building purposes. ln accordance with the usual practice, plaster hoard is manufactured by a continuous process in which a suitable layer or the plastic material is inclosed between two paper liners and subjected to appropriate pressure, whereupon the board is dried and then ou@ into panels of the desired size.

The drying of the plaster hoard is an iinportant step in the process and niust be conducted in such a manner as to properly set or harden the plasticinaterial while preserving without deterioration the sheet form oi" the article. ln accordance with the present invention, the plaster hoard passes in a continuous manner from the forminglf or laminatingr machine into my improved drying apparatus. In this drying apparatus, the hoard is subjected to appropriate heating.;- iuiiiiences for driving oif the excess of moisture andA hardening or setting the plaster. The drier is operated in such. a manner that the plaster board passes continuously therethrough and emerges therefrom as a thoroughly hardened and dried hoard,

Speeieatlor. ci Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, i923., serai iro. naaien.

irnprcved drying apparatus of the invention is constructed to receive and dry a plurality of superposed sheets oi plaster Appropriate conveying' means are provided within the drier for carrying the' snperposed sheets ol. plaster hoard therethrough. The. drier is heated in the irst instance a closed-circuit heating system having a plurality of snperposed heat rediating units or conduits alternately positioned Twith respect to the conveying: ineens igor the superposed sheets of plaei hoard.; ln the second instance, the drier is heated hy ineens of a current of an appropriate heating medium which in its exhausted con dition carries from the drying apparatus the moisture or steam driven off ,from the plaster hoard in the course of the drying treatment.

The novel features of the invention which I believe to he patentahle are definitely pointed out in the appended claims., These features, together With-the construction and niode of operation of a drierembodying the saine, will he understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, iii-which- Figure l is an elevation7 partly in section, ofl the improved drier of the invention; d Fig.'2 is a plan, partly in section, of the rier;

section line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section talren on the section line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

rlEhe drier illustrated in the accompanyingi,r drawing is arranged to convey 'therethrough and appropriately dry four' superposed sheets of plaster hoard. T o this end, four sets of horizontally disposed rollers lO'are provided as the conveyinr means for carryinp,r the plaster hoard through the drier. As viewed in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the Wet end of the drier is at the left and the dry end isat the right. The rollers 10 at the wet end of the drier ,and in advance thereof are loose so as to allow the wet board to he pushed forward to the drier from the forming or laminating machine without ilefacing the surface or" the'wet board. The bottom of the hoard as it comes from the forming machine and goes through the drier is intended to he the finished or right side thereof, At the dry end of the drier, a suitable length of rollers 10 are provided to allow the board to cool and to permit such "istitu-eras remains in the board to evapobefore the panels of board are piled.

[lreiprincipal heating means of the drier a' closed circuit heating system arranged to carry' a current of an appropriate heating -rnelfliun'n` such as hot air, through heat radiating pipesor conduits arranged above and below each of the series of rollers for conveying the plaster board through the drier; Thus, it will lbe observed that Within `the drier there is provided veseries 'of horizontally arran ed radiating pipes or conduits 11.. Eaei horizontal series contains live pipes 11. One series of the pipes 1l is arranged an appropriate 'distance above the top. set of rolls ylO-so as to permit thepassage beneath this top series of radiating; pipes of the top sheet of plaster board.

. lAnother seriesof the radiating pipes l1 is positioned beneath and in proximity to the ower Set of rollers 10. The other three i series of radiating pipes 11 are disposed be tween adjacent pairs of the sets of rollers 10, so that the sets of rollers and .series of radiating pipes are alternately disposed in substantie v horizontal planes.

Each horizontal series of radiating pipes 11 is provided lwith a manifold 12 conumnulm eating with a header 13. The header cour mnnicates with each of the manifolds, and the manifolds are arranged to supply the heating medium to their respective radiatng Pibr exhaust end, each horizontall series of radiating pipes 11 is provided with a. manifold lig The manifolds 14 communi cate at their hds with headers 15 at the side of thedrie'r, andthe headers 15 open into a tunnel 16 beneath the drier.

A furnace or burner 17 is provided 'for heating the circulating medium of the closed circuit heating system. Heat may be generated in the furnace 1'( by the combustion of oil, owdered coal, or other suitable combustible material. But ordinarily, oil will be found most suitable for this purpose. I'the hot gases of combustion from the furn nace 17 are drawn into a duct 18 Where they comminje with the return o'r exhaust heat ing meium from the ytunnel 16 and with cold air drawn in in regulable amounts from a cold air chamber 19.' A fan. 2O serves' to' provide the desired circulation of the heating medium ,and forces the medium, heated to the desired temperature, through a duct 21 into the header 13. The cold air damier ia is provided with a siding com to regulate the amount of cold air admitted to reduce the heat to the temperature dea sited:

'A compartment 22 is arranged on each side ot Vthe drier. At the hot or Wet end ofV the drier, the compartments 22 communicate with the header 13 and are thereby supplied with the heating medium.- `The top of the mesme 'hausted heating medium is discharged from these compartments into the stack 26. 'The compartments 22 are' provided. for the pur-- pose of assuring luniform heat Within the drier and also to carry off the moisture or .steam driven ott from the plaster board durf ing; the drying operation.. This moisture or steam passes through the dempers 24 into the tunnel 23, and the dempers are regulated to provide the necessary amount of draft re quired to carry oli' the `xnoiassture together with the exhausted heatingmediuln.

The frame .of the heater may convenienti be made of angle iron and is covered Wit i sheet iron. The radiating pipes 11 are of Velongated section and, are ,arranged with Sti their longest airis horizontal, thereby lpro-y viding the maximum heat radiating surface in horizontal pia-nes. The manifolds at each end of the drier for the radiating pipes ana' of substantially the same thickness or depthl as the pipes themselves. and suficient space is provided between the adiaoentand supervpoised manifolds to permit the passage of the plaster board conveyed on the rollers 1d. its previously stated, the rollers 10 in advanoe of the Wet or hot end of the drier are loose,

Whereas the other rollers are driven by any suitable means, as, for example by chains or by a shaft and screw drive. In the accom panying drawings sprocket'wlieeis() are sem cured to one end of the rollers 10 and are adapted to be appropriately engagedbya sprocket chain 31. One or' the rollers ofy each horizontal set thereof is extended through the frame of the heater and forms a drive shaft and may be driven from any.

appropriate source of power, for exempte, by means of bevel gears From the foregoing description, it will be observed that the top and `bottom of each sheet of the superposed plaster boards as conveyed through'the drier are subjected to the .heatingr inliuence of the series of radiatn 'ing pipes 11. Moreover, substantially uniform temperature conditions are maintained Within the drier as a result of the provision of the side heating chambers 22. In this rmanner,A the plaster board is thoroughly dried in its passage through the ap aratus, and the moisture and steam driven o by the drying treatment is effectively discharged through the stack 26 in the manner hereinbefore described. The plaster board is directly conveyed'from the for-ming or lami- Lesser@ 3 natio* .meeliine to the drier and is'not subthe bottom oi each conveyingnieans, anda 85 jecte to any treatment or handling `which return cireuitf'heatlng system including seid Will...distort or break the hor-rd during the conduits arranged to supply a heating medrjfi-ng operation. dinm to' the conduits and to Withdraw suoli 'eleirn: medium from the conduits and reheat the l. n drier comprisingr a lnlnralityfoi siisame whereby the heating inediurn circulates "2'0 perposed conveying ineens for earrying through said conduits withoiit directif/e011- sheet material therethrough, and returntaotin with the sheet material being dried. circuit heating system having a plurality of 7. 15 drier comprising a plurality of .suelosedlcireu'it heat rediiiting conduits arperposed conveying means for conveying ranged adjacent the top end bottom of eeeh sheet materiel horizontally therethrough, a 75 oi seid conveying nieens. plurality oi heat radiating conduits elter- 2. A drier comprising plurality or sunately disposed with respect to said eomfey perposed convey/ini7 roi' eerrying ing ineens and arranged so that there isn sheet ymateriel horizont ily therethrough, heat radiating conduit adjacent the top and and aretnrn-cireuit heating system havingi the bottoni of each conveying ineens, a re 80 e plurality or closed-circuit heatradiating turn circuit heating system including Said means alternately disposed with respect to conduits arranged to supply a heating rnesaid lconveying means, enel). of seid heat dium to the conouits end to Withdraw suoli radiating means comprising e series or horimedium from the conduits end relient the zontally disposed conduits. same, anxiliery heatingy ineens adjacent the 85 A drier comprising n plurality of sulong tndinal sides of the drier, and means perposed conveying ineens for carrying for supplying to such auxiliary heating sheet material theretlironfffn7 e series of horiineens a heating medium derived from seid zontally disposed heet radiating conduits srheating system. ranged between each adjacent pair of said 8. A drier comprising e plurality of su- 9o conveying means, a mainfold coinniunioat- `perposed conveying ineens for conveying ing with the eonduits each end of each of sheet materiel horizontallyY therethrough, a 'the series or conduits, a header at each end plurality: of heat radiating conduits alterof eondnits communicating with the nately disposed with respect to said eonveymanifolds thereoi Afor supplying n ing means and arranged so that there is :1.195 heating medium to one of said headers and heat radiating conduit adjacent the top and for witi seid medium from the the bottoni ot eeen conveying ineens, a re other header, and, ineens :tor heating-g seid turn circuit heating system including seid medium. eonduits arranged to supply a heating mei. A drier comprising e plurality su- `diurn to the conduits and to Withdraw such 100 perposed conveying ineens for carrying medium from the conduits and reheat the sheet material therethrough, n return-circuit same, auxiliary heating means adjacent the heating' system having plurality of heat longitudinal sides of the drier and in oomradiating Ineens alternateiy disposed with munication with the interior of the drier, respect to said conveying means, a heating means for supplying' to said auxiliary heat- 105 compartment at enel) side of said drier and ino; means a heating medium derived from adapted to receive e heating` medium from said heating system, and ineens for with said system, and ans independent of said drawing from the drier moisture driven ofi' system for withdrawing the exhaust from-the material being dried in the course medium from said compartments. of the drying' operation and the exhaust 1M) 5. A drier comprising a plurality; of snheating medium supplied to seid auxiliary v f perposed eonvejy'ing ineens Jfor carrying' heating means. sheet nieterial horizontally therethrough, e 9. A. drier comprisingl a plurality of sureturn-circuit eating system having heet 'perposed conveying means for conveying e operatively positioned with sheet material horizontally t'oeretlirougli7 115 respecteech or' seid conveyingl means, and a return eireuit heating srseem having a A' and ausiliari' means for supplying' heat to plurality of heat redirvtingT conduits ar seid drier arranged to receive Alier-diri@ merang-ed adjacent the top endrbottoin ofeach (1min from said system and to independently of said conveying means and extending londischarge this heating medium when erf gitudinall;v in the direction of travel of seid l nausted.` c s means, said conduits being closed through- 6. A drier comprising a plurality oii su` out the length of seid drier wherebyv the eirperposed conveying ineens for conveying culating heating medium rnointdined out sheet materiel horizontally therethrough, a or direct Contact with the sheet materiel hepluralitT of heat radiatingconduits alter ing dried. 12o

erely disposed with respect to said convey l'n testimonivv whereof l athis my signature.

ingl and arranged so that there is e. heat rridlating conduit ad3acent the top :and l). ROBERTS. 

